I love Paula Brackston, and she has given us another great witchy book.
I am excited this is the start of a series, and cant wait to see how the story progresses.

I really enjoyed Hecate Cavendish’s story of being able to communicate with ghosts. It was a bit mysterious and gothic feeling and the vibes were well done.

The Haunting of Hecate Cravendish is a historical drama about a young woman who discovers she has a special gift to speak and interact with the dead. In her journey to discover her place in the world with this new gift she is thrown into a deadly mystery of supernatural proportions. I felt this story really dragged on and the writing was very drab in places. I felt very little connection to the main character as I really did not feel any connection for her. I really felt that what was happening to her was very exciting but I was not able to really get into because I really could not connect. I thought the premise was brilliant but unfortunately the writing style and the lengthiness really hindered me getting taken away by this book. 2.25 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an arc of this book!!

First let me say the flow, word choice, and pacing reminds me of true Victorian novels. Not bridgerton! Similar to Thomas Hardy, Brontë sisters, and Jane Austen. I throughly enjoyed her writing.

I enjoyed that the main character (Hekate) is not whiny or dramatic. She truly holds her own. She is brave, cunning, smart, and daring. I enjoyed the plot for the most part. It was a roller coaster…in a Victorian way. Where it had gothic vibes and you are not quite sure what is going to happen. But, I could only give it 3 stars because the ending was dreadful!!! I felt it was a major letdown after 300+ pages.

I would still recommend it for those spookiah Victorian era vibes .

This is my first time reading one of Paula Brackston's novels, and now I want to read all of them! The story is so imaginative and written in such a way that kept be glued to the book from start to finish.
Hecate's character is so interesting and she experiences so much throughout the book, I found her story to be captivating.

I have read this author before and have enjoyed her books! They are always filled with cool fantasy/paranormal elements and have great historical settings. Although this book provided all of that, I found myself not being as invested as I would have liked to be.

Hecate was a very strong and intelligent character. I enjoyed learning about her job in the cathedral. There is obviously a lot that goes on there, especially when it comes to the paranormal. It isn’t very heavy in the fantasy/ paranormal realm though because the book remains light on the topics which makes for an enjoyable read that doesn’t take much out of you. I did like the lightness, but it also felt like it lulled at times and there wasn’t much pushing the plot. I actually didn’t realize that this was going to be a part of a series until the end. That is also where it really picks up, but by that time it kind of felt out of place.

I don’t know if I would pick up the next, but we will see.

Overall, it was a decent book!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
This book should have been fantastic. A haunted church library in a beautiful cathedral with a librarian who not only can see ghosts but who is the unwitting heir to the powers of Hecate Goddess of the Witches by one of my favorite witchy authors- it should have pushed all the right buttons. Sadly, it was merely OK. I felt the writing was a bit sophomoric. The plot was forced and a bit tired. This was gothic fiction 101. I did finish it but I found myself putting it down again and again. I doubt I will bother with book two.

THE HAUNTING OF HECATE CAVENDISH

A magical realism mystery set in a medieval castle with ghosts and libraries. A great start to a series, though I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself because now I’m going to have to wait forever for the next one.

The writing is fantastic and the characters pop off the page. It’s more of a cozy historical mystery which is just my speed. I’m excited to see how the story continues.

The year is 1881, and young Hecate Cavendish has taken a new job at a cathedral library. As well as dealing with the general looks of disproval from her surly boss, she also discovers she is able to communicate with the ghosts in the cathedral. Not to mention a strange map that comes to life, and has griffins flying out of it. But when horrors begin in the real world, Hecate must use her new-found talents to protect those she loves.

I would describe this book as quaint. Hecate, while clearly a headstrong and competent character, has a streak of Hermione Granger about her which I found quite grating. Brackston's prose is very straight-forward; I unfortunately didn't feel challenged or compelled by the writing.

Although there is some violence in the story, it felt light and somewhat predictable. If you're looking for an interesting mystery with a hint of magical realism, you may enjoy this novel. I found that it lacked the depth and bite of a truly engaging story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I love this author and this book did not disappoint. Can’t wait to read the next installment in this series. The perfect mix of magic and supernatural.

I quite liked this book to start. Hecate was an eager and excited young girl journeying into the next phase of life as a young adult. A medieval castle, priests, old books, and mysterious maps made for quite the setting of what would end up being a slow trod through mystery, intrigue, and ultimately obscurity. The plot here was overly wordy, and drawn out. And I didn't originally know this was the start of a series but I didn't get enough that would warrant continuing on with this story. There simply wasn't enough present or anticipated that made any investment in any particular character while I do quite like Hecate.

I love Paula Brackston's books they pull you in and hook you. I love her writing style it is so easy to read and get lost in the story. This new book is the start of a new series and I am here for it!!! This is one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint me. It had magic, ghosts, libraries and magical beasts. This book was everything that I had hoped. If I coyos give 6 stars I would!!!!! It kept me up all night reading this book. Love it. I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out!!!!
I just reviewed The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston. #NetGalley
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Unfortunately, this was another book that I could not finish. When I read the summary and saw the cover I thought it would be a book that I would be very interested in reading. However, I have had trouble with finishing it. Every time that I pick it up I don't have the motivation to read it and try to finish it. The book is a little too slow for me and I do not connect with any of the characters. The fact that I am unable to finish the book has nothing to do with the Author and how they wrote it. I do not doubt that there are people who will enjoy this book. However, this book just ended up not being for me

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I think this book was a good blind of history, gothic, romance, and mystery. I loved the main characters as she tries to solve the mysteries surrounding her. The plot was a little slow moving, but the pay out was worth it. If you enjoy gothic mysteries than this book is for you.

Thank you to Net Galley for my arc of this book!

This was a beautifully written story. It did take me a little bit to really get into it, but once it caught my attention I felt myself wanting to keep reading to see what was going to happen next.

I loved Hecate’s character. She was fierce, loyal, and smart as a whip. Her ghostly companions were charming.

The historical aspects of this book and its atmosphere were great, really helped you get a feel for the time period.

I would love to see where Hecate goes next!

For the most part, I liked this book. The main character, Hecate, was likable. She was ambitious, driven, and inquisitive. Her father was also a protagonist, who played a bigger role in this book than it lets on. I liked the writing style. I liked the magical/mythical additions and the slight religious references. I liked the characters (key master, souls, etc.); I think they all added to the story nicely.

There were a lot of open ends, however, and it became clear why at the end, when I realized this was the first in a series. I would have rather had the whole story in its entirety in this one book. While I do think I would consider reading the next book in the series, I really don’t want to wait (and forget) all the details!

I absolutely loved this book! The setting, writing style and characters had me transported to a different time. It was the perfect escape read. Such a great gothic feel, which I LOVE! I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston was an excellent read and I look forward to being able to purchase a physical copy later this year.

What this story does particularly well

- excellent pacing
-phenomenal prose
-well-developed characters with believable motivations

What didn['t work as well for me
Dialogue in this story felt odd. it was mostly at the beginning of the book thought so it may be attributed to getting used to the charecters or authorial style.

I love missed this author! Thank goddess she is back with an amazingly strong female lead! This new series is going to be fabulous!

2.55 stars
Historical Fantasy

The writing is very reflective of the time, so if you do not like lengthy sentences or “flowery/victorian” language, this book wouldn’t be for you.

The characters of the library/cathedral ghosts were lovable and well-written, but overall, this book was a miss for me right now. Perhaps I will pick it up again and I will enjoy it a bit more in a different time of my life.

Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.